Forty-nine U.S. Army helicopters arrived in Europe this week to begin a nine-month rotation in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

The equipment arriving by ship in the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany, Feb. 11, included UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters. An additional 20 helicopters are scheduled to arrive next week, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Steven DiGeorgio, command sergeant major of the 10th CAB. The battalion departed from Fort Drum, New York in January.

Soldiers who arrived with the equipment prepared it for delivery to staging bases throughout Eastern Europe for a nine-month rotation to train with NATO partners. “A large proportion of this brigade will go to Katterbach and Illesheim, Germany,” said Army Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command commander. Advance teams arrived in Illesheim Feb. 8, and about 2,000 soldiers are scheduled to be stationed there and in nearby Ansbach.

Strengthening Strategic Partnerships

“The arrival of the 10th Combat [Aviation] Brigade adds to our highly capable joint team,” said Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command. “This deployment is another great opportunity to strengthen strategic partnerships with our NATO allies and to build together our capacity, capability and interoperability.”

After the brigade’s arrival, helicopters will fly to various areas across Europe, while equipment is moved via rail and road.

“Through a logistics effort unseen in decades, OAR deployments continue to exceed all expectations,” said Navy Rear Adm. Paul Verrastro, Eucom’s director of logistics. “The rapid and responsive effort by ships, rail, strategic airlift and all those involved continue to highlight the speed at which we can deploy to Europe.”

OAR was designed to reassure European allies in light of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.

The soldiers will perform medical transport and aviation operations to improve interoperability and strengthen relationships with allies and partner nations.

Eucom is one of the United States’ two forward-deployed geographical combatant commands whose area of focus covers almost one-fifth of the planet, including all of Europe, large portions of Asia, parts of the Middle East and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The command is responsible for military relations with NATO and 51 countries with a total population of close to a billion people.